This happened to a Phx P.D. officer. He got home after shift, dropped his gear and ran into the bathroom.
His little kid got his weapon and shot himself in the abdomen. The kid will make a full recovery.
Pressing charges is just adding insult to injury. What is to be gained? Nothing.

Originally Posted By markm:
Pressing charges is just adding insult to injury. What is to be gained? Nothing.

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Exactly it is bad enough his child was shot, and yes the Trooper should have been more careful with his Weapon, but damn why would you persecute or attempt to punish any descent person after their child was shot.
This is [bs] [bs]

A Well Regulated Militia, Being Necessary To The Security Of A Free State, The Right Of The People To Keep And Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed.

I know of a guy in Duncan, OK who's 2 year old got accidentally killed when he left a circular saw on a sawhorse outside his house. He just turned his back for a second and did not leave the kid alone at any time, he just turned his back. A circular saw (do you get my point?) My condolences to all of them just the same.

The Koran is actually a beautiful book. Some of it has some good ideas. But practically speaking, these guys are out of their minds.-Gene Simmons, KISS

Originally Posted By Pale_Rifle:
I know of a guy in Duncan, OK who's 2 year old got accidentally killed when he left a circular saw on a sawhorse outside his house. He just turned his back for a second and did not leave the kid alone at any time, he just turned his back. A circular saw (do you get my point?) My condolences to all of them just the same.

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Are you guys kinding me? Hardly the same thing. That cop is getting what he deserves.
So my kid gets into the whiskey at home takes off in his car and kills a family and I should not be held responsible? Same thing.
We should be held liable for our actions. Pro gun or not a GLOCK has no safety and does not belong laying around?

"They're telling us they'd rather die than come out and surrender....so.. They're gonna die."

I agree with muzzlebrk here. We are always the ones bitching about personal freedom and how people shouldn't be charged with "pre-crimes" like owning guns and speeding, only crimes like shooting people and causing car crashes. Well, this guy exercised his freedom to leave a loaded gun accessible to his boy, and the result was a crime.
Edited to add:
I was a little too sobered by the story, I forgot to add the obligatory smartass remark:
[b][red]"9 mm Glock service revolver"[/red][/b]?

I leave my guns laying around, however no kids around and never have any one who has kids over. Also never have kept a loaded gun Ammo is safe far away from the gun except the 3 30's in the night stand.

Originally Posted By Pale_Rifle:
I know of a guy in Duncan, OK who's 2 year old got accidentally killed when he left a circular saw on a sawhorse outside his house. He just turned his back for a second and did not leave the kid alone at any time, he just turned his back. A circular saw (do you get my point?) My condolences to all of them just the same.

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Are you guys kinding me? Hardly the same thing. That cop is getting what he deserves.
So my kid gets into the whiskey at home takes off in his car and kills a family and I should not be held responsible? Same thing.
We should be held liable for our actions. Pro gun or not a GLOCK has no safety and does not belong laying around?

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So can you please show me the safety on a revolver? Pretty please?

"Life is a comedy for those who think... and a tragedy for those who feel" Horace Walpole

Originally Posted By markm:
EVERYONE has a brain fart!
If it was shown that he always left loaded firearms accessable to kids, MAYBE i could see going after him.

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Well, Officer, I was tired, so I leaned back against the launch console. Guess I sat on the launch button. How was I to know the missle was targeted at Moscow?
With loaded firearms, like nuclear warheads, there are no "accidental" discharges, only "negligent" discharges. Doubly so if kids are around.

Originally Posted By Pale_Rifle:
I know of a guy in Duncan, OK who's 2 year old got accidentally killed when he left a circular saw on a sawhorse outside his house. He just turned his back for a second and did not leave the kid alone at any time, he just turned his back. A circular saw (do you get my point?) My condolences to all of them just the same.

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Are you guys kinding me? Hardly the same thing. That cop is getting what he deserves.
So my kid gets into the whiskey at home takes off in his car and kills a family and I should not be held responsible? Same thing.
We should be held liable for our actions. Pro gun or not a GLOCK has no safety and does not belong laying around?

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So can you please show me the safety on a [red]revolver[/red]? Pretty please?

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WTF ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT? You know just about as much as the author of this article... NOTHING.
It says it was a GLOCK. Both Digdug and the author claim a GLOCK is a service REVOLVER. All of us know that GLOCK does NOT make REVOLVERS!
I hate reading media inaccuracies. And yes, GLOCKs do NOT have active safeties. I don't care what you Glock lovers think about firing pin safeties or trigger levers, it's NOT an active, true safety.

Want to meet members near you or attend local events? Check out the Hometown Board!"An unloaded gun is about as helpful as a Wellstone supporter...Utterly useless in real life situations."-100w_Warlock

So their logic is: The death of his child is not enough of a horrible punishment that he will have to live with forever, but also he should lose his job so it will be harder to provide for his other two kids. Just great.

My question is why didn't the 15 year-old son know that:
IF YOU SEE A GUN:
STOP!
DON'T TOUCH.
LEAVE THE AREA.
TELL AN ADULT.
AND-
ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED;
NEVER POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY;
KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON TARGET;
KNOW YOUR TARGET, WHAT'S BEHIND AND BEYOND IT...
...'unintentional discharges' are almost always a result of not following one or more of the above.
Copy and paste them, print them, put them on the refrigerator, pass them around, tell your kids, whatever.
Gun Safety SHOULD be taught in school as well as at home.
I think the Officer is suffering enough trauma without losing the Job, too.
Creative punishment is in order here, not further destruction of that family's lives.

Is it a crime to leave a loaded weapon around children? I do it all the time. But then, those here that have met my son can understand why that wouldn't worry me.
He should not be charged. This is very different from leaving the whiskey out, the kid stealing the car, and hurting another family. In that scenario there is another family involved and the parent should be responsible.
This scenario is more like leaving a Zippo on the coffee table and one kid starts playing with them. The older son tries to take them away and the lit lighter drops, burning the younger son's flammable pajamas - you get the picture... Should dad be charged in this case as well? I think not. Granted, dad should have taught the kids some safety rules dealing with fire, or guns as the case may be, but to be brought up on criminal charges is ridiculous.

Would anybody here choose not to charge a drunk driver who killed the passenger of his car? I think that the circumstances and the effect on the family need to be taken into account during sentencing (if convicted), but if the grand jury sees reason to indict, he should go to trial.
[b][NOT COP BASHING MODE][/b]
We expect a higher standard from LEOs than Billy Bob in the trailer park.
[b][/NOT COP BASHING MODE][/b]

Originally Posted By fizassist:
Well, this guy exercised his freedom to leave a loaded gun accessible to his boy, and the result was a [red]crime[/red].

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Not a crime, but an accident. An accident that could have been prevented. [s]Thank God that the father and son have a chance to learn from that accident.[/s]
A crime? I would like to know what the criminal intent was.
Edited to say I should have read the article first. I didn't realize the 8 year old had died. I've said it before though, these type of stories need to be used to teach our own kids the importance of gun safety. The 15 year old should have known not to even touch the gun. It's very sad.

Lol I dont keep my guns loaded sorry. I can pop a clip in in less then 2 seconds and I like to dry fire when bored. Last thing I want to do is reach for a gun and pop.
Also if he was 15 is he still a kid?

Originally Posted By snipley:
I like to dry fire when bored. Last thing I want to do is reach for a gun and pop.

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Sounds like a ND waiting to happen.
Scott

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I agree... I keep loaded guns around all the time, but there's almost never a round in the chamber (except for the handgun I keep bedside), and I ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check to see if a gun is unloaded... ===> Drop Mag, Check Chamber for clear. EVERY TIME.
If I just cleaned a gun, and set it down after checking it's empty, and later pick it up, I IMMEDIATELY check to see that the gun is empty/clear. *NEVER* trust your memory, and NEVER assume anything with guns. When it comes to guns, my life's mantra truly shines: "Paranoia Equals Safety!"
My friends/family used to always think I was paranoid for carrying mace & a knife with me EVERYWHERE. Then my brother came up to visit me, and left his gun at home (he's an LEO), and said in my neighborhood (which I thankfully moved out of since) he REALLY wished he was carrying.
!!!PARANOIA = SAFETY!!!
Never trust your memory. Lord knows it has failed me in the past (academically speaking).

Want to meet members near you or attend local events? Check out the Hometown Board!"An unloaded gun is about as helpful as a Wellstone supporter...Utterly useless in real life situations."-100w_Warlock

Originally Posted By fizassist:
Would anybody here choose not to charge a drunk driver who killed the passenger of his car? I think that the circumstances and the effect on the family need to be taken into account during sentencing (if convicted), but if the grand jury sees reason to indict, he should go to trial.
[b][NOT COP BASHING MODE][/b]
We expect a higher standard from LEOs than Billy Bob in the trailer park.
[b][/NOT COP BASHING MODE][/b]

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A drunk driver is commiting a crime. He is already doing something illegal which causes the death of his passenger - yes, he will be charged.
Leaving a gun out is not a crime and this guy - cop or not - should not be charged. No one has answered me on whether a parent should be charged for leaving out a lighter...
Several people have asked why the 15 year old did not know to leave the gun alone. I agree, the son of a gun owner should have been drilled with safety rules and should know better. However I think that the 8 year old should have had the same training.
My son's training started at 2 years old. As soon as he could understand what I was saying for the most part. Before he was 3, he showed me his training had worked when we were at a friend's house. He and their daughter were playing and he saw a rifle that had been left out. He immediately came downstairs to tell me about it...
I've gone way off topic beyond this point so I am starting a new thread on Kids and gun safety...